


Self Help and Time Travel

by SilverHyena



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: After that probably not so much, Alternate Timelines, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, I'm Bad At Titles, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:06:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22086103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverHyena/pseuds/SilverHyena
Summary: It's been a few years since Endgame happened and, all things considered, Quill is doing alright.  Unfortunately, something happens that makes Quill's alright take a turn for the worse and he decides that, if he can't fix his own life, he can at least use the Avenger's time machine to fix the life of his 2014 counterpart.  Now his friends are tasked with bringing him back-- hopefully before he does anything with lasting consequences!
Relationships: Loki/Peter Quill, Peter Quill & Rocket Raccoon, Peter Quill/Thor
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I've decided to start off the new year with my addition to all the Thorquill fics that take place after Endgame! Enjoy! (And ignore the terrible title. I am the worst at titles)

"Hey, Groot, buddy, could you help me out here?" Quill said, struggling with a crate of cargo that was just a little too heavy for him to manage on his own. The flora colossus was almost full grown these days which was very helpful considering that they'd been lacking in muscle ever since Drax had decided to retire to New Asgard.

That had been a little over two years ago now. With Thanos gone, so was Drax's reason for fighting. He'd stuck around for a few more jobs, but ultimately decided to pursue a life of peace. So, he left and Mantis went with him. They'd always been close. It made sense. That didn't mean Quill was completely over them leaving though.

"I am Groot," Groot said, extending his branches and wrapping them around the crate. He lifted it from Quill's arms and headed towards the ship's exit to put it with the rest of the crates they'd already moved.

"Thanks," Quill called after him. He then turned to the remaining crates and let out a deep breath. He should probably start working out again. This was way harder than it should have been.

"These the rest of them?" a hearty voice came from behind. Quill turned his head as Thor put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey there, big guy," Quill smiled. It was good to see him after so long. Yeah, they'd had a rocky start, but after about a month of squabbling over stupid things and a job where they ended up stuck in the same cell for the better half of a week, they actually ended up having an honest conversation with each other. That was a game changer for their relationship. It made them realize that they'd gone through a lot of the same things and that they both actually kind of respected each other. Unfortunately, that newfound camaraderie was put on hold when Thor had to return to Earth to deal with some New Asgard drama. They'd stayed in contact and helped each other out now and then, but Thor had never gotten around to rejoining the team-- not that there was much of a team to rejoin these days.

Nebula had left the team after they'd run into 2014 Gamora. It was ironic because they'd actually stopped looking for her at that point. Quill had invested so much time into looking for her before then too. It had been the main thing driving him through his depression over losing her counterpart. While Quill doubted he could ever feel the same way about her that he'd felt about his Gamora, he still thought that she belonged with them. Thats why it was really hard when she told them that she wasn't interested in joining the Guardians. What she was interested in was exploring the galaxy with her sister at her side. Quill hadn't bonded with Nebula the way he had the rest of the Guardians, but he was sad to see her go. Still, this was her version of a happy ending. There was no way he could ask her not to take it.

Thor took Quill into a hug and lifted him off the ground. Quill hadn't expected that level of enthusiasm. It embarrassed him a little, but he did kind of like it. Thor was a damn good hugger. "Okay, okay, I get it already. You're happy to see me," Quill muttered, "mind letting me down now?'

"Ah, right. Sorry," Thor said, putting Quill down. He then turned his attention back to the crates. "You just want to move these outside, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the help," Quill said, leaning over and picking up a crate.

Thor followed suit and picked up one of his own. "It's my pleasure."

The two of them headed off the ship together. Outside, Rocket was busy discussing something official sounding with Banner. The five gap Rocket had spent working with the Avengers was always blatantly clear when Quill saw him like this-- as if they'd been working together forever. Quill fought down a surge of guilt and finished putting his crate with the others. With Thor's help, it didn't take long to finish moving the rest of the crates outside.

"How long are you guys sticking around for?" Thor asked, approaching Quill afterward.

"Not long," Quill said, "a couple of days at most."

"I was hoping it'd be a bit longer."

"Well, we've got space stuff to get to get back to." That was a lie. They literally had nothing going on at the moment. Quill just couldn't bring himself to stay on Earth. Too many bad memories. "You could always come with us, you know? Assuming you don't have any pressing Avenger's business to attend to."

"Things have been pretty peaceful around here lately. It might not be a bad time for me to take a bit of a vacation," Thor smiled. Quill hoped that he really would. It'd be nice for the team to start gaining members again instead of losing them. "It looks like Rocket will be busy for awhile. What do you say to me taking you and Groot on a tour through our new Avenger's compound?"

"How about it, Groot?" Quill asked, "want to go on a tour?"

"I am Groot," Groot replied. That was a no then. Groot was enjoying being outdoors too much. Quill supposed it had been awhile since they landed somewhere with actual grass.

"Well, I'm up for a tour if you're still offering," Quill told Thor.

"Let's go then."

The new compound was pretty sweet. There were all sorts of facilities ranging from training grounds to high tech labs. Quill's favorite bit was the hangar though. It housed a number of planes that caught his fancy. "So, if this baby here goes missing at some point, it wasn't me," Quill said innocently as he gestured to a jet, "okay?"

"I wouldn't touch that one if I were you," Thor chuckled, "Carol doesn't like anyone touching her jet. She'll feed you to Goose if she catches you."

"Goose?"

"He's kind of like a cat."

"That doesn't sound too terrible."

"He's not enough like a cat."

"Ah," Quill said. He didn't fully understand, but he was still able to figure out that this Goose character was bad news. "I'll have to keep a close eye on Rocket then."

The two moved on from the hangar. On their way out, they passed a large machine hooked up to a number of computers that Thor hadn't bothered talking about on their way in. "What's that?" Quill asked.

"Oh, that. That's the machine Banner used to send Steve to the past we borrowed the infinity stones from. It's just been here collecting dust since then."

Quill had heard about that. If he recalled correctly, Steve had gone rogue and lived out the majority of his life in that timeline before returning. So much for not messing with history. Of course, that timeline's history was pretty much shot the moment they killed Thanos and his minions anyway. "I guess that's a good thing. Things would have to be pretty dire to warrant using it again."

"Yeah," Thor said somberly.

Thor ended the tour by showing off the guest rooms Quill and the other Guardians would be staying in. There was plenty of room on their ship, of course, but it was nice to switch things up once and awhile. "You have a room like this?" Quill asked.

"Yeah," Thor said, pointing, "it's just down there. "It's still a little on the plain side, but that's fine."

"Especially since you'll be leaving with us?" Quill suggested hopefully.

"Quill..."

"Right, right. You need time to make sure the others are okay with it. Sorry."

Thor hesitated for a moment and then smiled, making his decision. "Ah, what the hell? The Avengers will just have to figure things out without me for awhile."

"You mean it?" Quill asked excitedly.

"Why not? It'll be fun."

"Hell yeah, it'll be fun!"

\---------------------------------------------

Someone knocked on the door to Thor's room in the middle of the night. Figuring it was probably important, Thor stifled a yawn and got out of bed. When he opened the door, Rocket was waiting for him on the other side.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Rocket asked. Thor knew from his tone that something was up.

"Of course," Thor said. He opened the door wider. "Do you want to come in?"

"Actually... Can we go outside? I could use the fresh air."

"There's a balcony out that way."

"Perfect. Let's go," Rocket said, already walking off in the direction Thor had pointed out. Thor wished he could've grabbed some proper clothes first, but it didn't seem like a good idea to keep Rocket waiting so he had to settle for the t-shirt and boxer shorts he'd been sleeping in. They didn't do much to protect him from the temperature outside. It was a little on the brisk side. "What is this all about, Rocket?"

Rocket walked over to the balcony's wall and got on top of it so he could see down below. The Benatar was parked on the lawn there. Rocket stared at it for a moment before saying,"Groot and I are quitting the team."

"What? Why?"

Rocket sighed and let another long moment pass before finally speaking up. "I'm getting old, Thor. I don't have the kind of lifespan you and the others do. The five years the other Guardians were snapped out of existence... That was a long time for me. I can't keep up anymore. Last job we did, I almost got Quill killed because I wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. That can't happen again."

Mortality wasn't really something Thor had to consider. Not from age anyway. The years passed, but he never really changed. Now that he was taking a closer look at Rocket, he did notice the graying hair on his brow. "Have you talked to Quill about any of this?"

"Of course not! He'd just start blaming himself for not stopping Thanos when he had the chance all over again. I don't want him to have to deal with that."

"So you're going to lie to him?"

"Yup. That's the plan. I'll tell him Groot and I think we've earned a good long vacation and that we want to spend it in New Asgard with Drax and Mantis. Quill will be irritated, but I'd rather him be irritated than sad." Rocket frowned and then looked up at Thor. In a concerned tone, he added, "I don't want him to be alone."

Now Thor understood what Rocket had wanted to talk to him about. "You want me to go with him when he leaves."

"I thought I'd ask, at least," Rocket admitted, "I was thinking about leaving Groot with him, but... we've been together so long I don't think I could do it. You might be a better choice anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters, you're a god. If anyone can get Quill out of trouble in the likely chance one of his hair brained schemes goes awry, it's me-- followed closely by you."

Thor chuckled at that.

"Besides, you two are good for each other. Got a lot of shared trauma, you know?" Rocket said with a shrug. "But it's your choice. If you don't want to do it, I'll figure out something else."

"I'll go with him."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He asked me to join you guys earlier so I'd actually already told him I would."

"Good," Rocket said with a relieved sigh.

Thor decided to try and lighten the mood even more by teasing Rocket a bit. "You know, It's nice to know you can actually worry about someone."

"Tell anyone and I'll take out your other eye, got it?"

"Got it," Thor smiled. Good to know Rocket still had some spunk in him.

\---------------------------------------------

Instead of staying put in the room they'd offered him, Quill took his Zune with him and went out on the balcony. It wasn't everyday he was on his mother's home planet. He figured he might as well go stargazing the way he used to with her. Quill had chosen to go to the balcony specifically because he'd spotted a place where he could easily access the roof from it during Thor's tour. With just a little bit of climbing, he was able to reach the perfect spot to watch the stars from. Then he put his earbuds in, started his music, and laid down on the compound's roof. He stayed up there for an hour or two before deciding it was time to head back inside.

Just as he was about to get down, however, Thor and Rocket came outside. Quill barely had to time to wonder why the hell Thor hadn't put on some pants before they started talking. Quill intended to put his earbuds back in to give them a bit of privacy when Rocket told Thor that he was leaving the Guardians. Those words hit Quill like a truck.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Quill sat down. The more he overheard, the more his head reeled. Rocket was leaving. And he was taking Groot. The last two members of his family were leaving. And, yeah, sure, Thor was planning to go with him, but how long before he got called away again by New Asgard or the Avengers? Quill was going to end up alone. How had he dealt with that before the Guardians? Oh, yeah, he'd slept his way across the galaxy. He had a feeling that wasn't going to work this time. After Gamora, the idea of fooling around with just anyone seemed... hollow.

Quill folded his arms over his knees. Rocket was right about him blaming himself for Thanos all over again too. He'd come to terms with the fact that he couldn't have saved Gamora, but... he could have had those five years with Rocket. If he'd stopped Thanos, Thor wouldn't have had to spend those five years blaming himself for the same mistake either. And Stark wouldn't have had to die. Quill hadn't gotten the chance to know the guy well, but he still remembered his little girl at the funeral. That was on him. How many countless strangers had he screwed over with that one bad decision? Hell, he probably messed up things for the 2014 version of himself too.

Without Thanos, his minions, and Gamora, there was no way his life would have turned out the same. He'd probably gotten the power stone without a hitch and never ran into the others in the first place. 2014 Quill was probably the only schmuck worse off than himself. He just wouldn't know it.

A bad idea started to form in the back of Quill's head. He might not know where to begin fixing his life, but he could probably point 2014 Quill in the right direction. He could make sure he teamed up with the others and... Yondu would still be alive in that timeline. Maybe Quill could fix that relationship-- or at least tell that Yondu all of the things he should have told his Yondu. Quill bit his lip and tried to talk himself out of the idea. It was for sure a misuse of that technology. Still, if Steve Rogers could fucking do it, why couldn't he?

\---------------------------------------------

"Have any of you seen Quill this morning? Because we might have a bit of a situation," Bruce said, rubbing his hands together nervously. He'd gathered up Thor, Rocket, and Groot, having them meet in front of the time machine.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked.

"Yeah, what he said," Rocket demanded, "what do you mean by a bit of a situation?"

Thor cut in with an actual answer to Bruce's question. "No, Bruce. We haven't seen Quill."

"I thought so," Bruce sighed, "I'm pretty sure he used the time machine."

"What?" Rocket snapped, "why would he do that? It's not like there's a Gamora in that timeline."

"Look, all I know is that someone used it and that Quill isn't accounted for."

"Would Quill even be capable of using the machine though?" Thor asked. Thor knew he wouldn't be able to figure it out. He'd honestly assumed that there needed to be at least two people to make it work it in the first place.

"Quill is dumb as a rock most of the time, but you can't underestimate him," Rocket groaned. "Give him a problem and he'll figure out a solution everyone else overlooked."

Bruce stepped over to the computers connected to the machine. "He may have gotten it to work, but I also think that he fumbled his way through it. I would have expected him to go back to 2014, but it looks like he ended up in 2024."

"Ten years? He missed the mark by ten years?!"

"Yes. That's what makes the situation worse. He might end up seeing something that'll affect our future."

"Then we have to go get him! Now!"

"I am Groot!"

"Bruce, can you get us to Quill?" Thor asked.

Bruce sighed. "We don't have much of a choice, do we? He would have already come back on his own if he intended to."

An awkward silence descended between the other three as that realization hit them.

"No!" Rocket shook his head after a moment, "Quill wouldn't do that to us! Maybe he just doesn't know how to get back!"

"Or he can't," Thor added. It was better than assuming the alternative-- that he didn't want to come back.

"Right," Bruce said cautiously. Thor could tell he was humoring them. Still, all that mattered right now was him getting them to Quill. "I guess you three better suit up."

\---------------------------------------------

The year wasn't the only thing Quill had gotten wrong. He'd also messed up on the location. Thor was none to pleased about the fact that Quill had somehow sent himself to Sakaar, one of Thor's least favorite planets after everything that had happened with the Grandmaster. He may not have been there as a prisoner this time around, but he still hoped they'd be able to find Quill and get out of there as soon as possible.

"He can't have gotten too far," Rocket said, "we should split up and see if we can track down some leads."

"Got it," Thor said, "I'll contact you if I find him before you do."

That decided, the three of them split up and started combing the marketplace for any clues as to Quill's whereabouts. It occurred to Thor that this would probably be a lot easier if he actually knew what Quill was trying to do. Then he'd at least have an idea where to start looking. He sighed and decided to ask a merchant nearby if he'd seen someone matching Quill's description.

"Oh! Yes! I know exactly who you're talking about!" the merchant said, lighting up, "very handsome man, dignified. He had a woman with him last time I saw him."

Dignified wasn't exactly the word Thor would use to describe Quill. He did think he was handsome though. The woman part threw Thor a bit too. Still, the merchant had seemed so sure of himself that Thor figured it was worth investigating. After asking a few follow up questions, the merchant pointed him in a direction. From there, Thor navigated his way through the large crowds of people until he saw a familiar looking figure in the distance.

"Quill," Thor called.

Quill jolted in surprise and turned towards him briefly before deciding to make a run for it. Thor groaned and chased after him. Quill managed to make his way out of the market before Thor caught up to him and grabbed him by the wrist.

"What were you thinking?" Thor growled angrily.

"It's none of your business," Quill said, trying to pull himself free. Thor simply tightened his grip.

"I'm your friend, Quill. Of course it's my business!"

"If you were my friend, you'd leave me alone!"

"That's not--" Thor stopped mid sentence when he realized someone had just tried to shove him from behind. Turning towards the source of the disturbance, Thor saw a young girl with short, dark hair, light skin, and a set of blue eyes that were currently glaring at him. The most notable article of clothing that she was wearing was a familiar red jacket that was too big for her.

"Let my dad go right now!" she threatened.

"Your... dad?" Thor asked in confusion. He turned to Quill who shrugged. Apparently, he was just as confused as Thor was.

"Yeah, my dad. You know what a dad is, right?" she replied cheekily.

"Meredith! What have I told you about leaving the ship on your own?" a beautiful woman with similar features to the girl shouted as she approached the three of them. A mixture of surprise, joy, and sadness surged through Thor all at once when he realized that he recognized her. It had been awhile since he'd seen his brother in his female form.

"Hey, Loki," Thor managed a bit sheepishly.

Loki frowned and responded with a terse, "Thor."


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait," Quill said, trying to process everything that was happening, "isn't Loki the name of your--"

"Brother. Yes," Thor responded, keeping his gaze fixed on Loki.

"Adopted brother," Loki corrected coldly.

"My brother all the same."

"What do you want, Thor? Because I'm warning you, if you've come to take me back to Asgard to pay for my crimes, I--"

"I'm not here for that," Thor interrupted, "I promise."

Loki stared at him for a long moment as Meredith looked between the two of them nervously. "Then why are you here?" Loki asked, tone easing up ever so slightly.

"I'm here for him, actually," Thor said, nodding in Quill's direction.

Loki's attention shifted to Quill who straightened his stance automatically in response. He supposed it was instinct for him to try and look as presentable as possible in front of a gorgeous lady-- even if that gorgeous lady happened to be Thor's brother. "Well, you are a Peter Quill," Loki said, approaching Quill curiously, "but you are not my Peter Quill. Not hairy enough here, for starters." Loki pointed to Quill's chin.

"The other me has a beard?" Quill asked. That probably shouldn't have been the thing he focused on, but it was something he was genuinely curious about. "Because I thought about it, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off."

"You can pull it off. As far as I'm concerned, anyway," Loki said with a sly smile. Quill noticed Thor tense up next to him. He couldn't discern why though. Loki circled Quill, looking him over more carefully before saying, "you look a bit younger than my husband."

"Wait, husband? You actually got married?!" Thor exclaimed.

"Surprising, right? I certainly didn't expect it," Loki said, a bit of pride in his tone, "I didn't expect to have this little one either." At that, Loki ruffled Meredith's hair. She grumbled irritably and batted Loki's hand away in response. "Have you two eaten yet? If you have time, why don't you come with us back to our ship? I'd be happy to tell you what I've been up to-- as long as you're willing to explain this whole situation in exchange." Loki gestured at Quill.

Thor and Quill exchanged looks. Quill got the impression that Thor wanted to take Loki up on his offer more than he did. Then again, of course he did. Quill would give anything to spend more time with his deceased loved ones. Why would Thor be any different? "Can we?" Quill asked, "I mean, what harm can it actually do?" 

Thor frowned. He was definitely going over all the reasons he shouldn't in his head. Typical goody two-shoes. It looked like Quill was going to have to play devil's advocate here.

"Look, forget whatever you're thinking about," Quill said, "I want to go, you want to go. So, let's go. Don't overthink it. Steve didn't. I'm sure he messed up all sorts of stuff. And you know what? That's fine, because everything was messed up already when everyone banded together to take out you know who."

"I don't know, Quill."

"Please? We don't have to be specific. We just have to gloss over a few things that don't matter here anyway."

Thor let out a long sigh. "If we do this, you'll go home with me without a fuss?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Quill..."

"I said I would!" Thor was right to question him. Quill wasn't actually sure whether he intended to keep his word or not yet.

"Fine," Thor said finally. He turned his attention back to Loki and said, "does that offer still stand if we've got a couple more friends with us?"

"More friends?" Quill asked.

"Rocket and Groot came too."

"Oh," Quill frowned. He was a little nervous about seeing them after the stunt he'd pulled. Rocket was definitely going to chew him out at his earliest convenience.

"The more the merrier, I guess," Loki said, "you'll probably end up meeting my Quill too."

Quill had to admit, he was kind of interested in that. It felt a little taboo since pretty much every time travel movie he'd ever seen told him he shouldn't meet himself, but Loki was acting like this sort of thing wasn't a big deal. And, considering some of the things he and the guardians had dealt with, it probably wasn't. Probably.

\---------------------------------------------

The ship Loki had mentioned turned out to be the Milano. Quill couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic as he made his way into the alternate version of his old ship with Thor trailing slightly behind. Once on board, Loki shifted back into his male form. Honestly, he was kind of pretty that way too. Quill could kind of see why his alternate self might have gone for a relationship with him. Then again, it's not like Loki would have been his first male partner. That was an episode in his life he'd really rather forget though.

"Looks like your father isn't back yet," Loki told Meredith after taking a quick look around.

"Maybe he ran into one of his ex-girlfriends again," Meredith suggested with a shrug.

The sour look that appeared on Loki's face made Quill flinch. "If I have to bail him out one more time," Loki grumbled to himself. He muttered something incoherent before growling, "where do they all even come from?"

"Uh, sorry," Quill said apologetically.

"You have nothing to apologize for, dear," Loki said gently, "you aren't the one on trial here."

"Say, Loki. How exactly did you and your Quill meet?" Thor interjected. His tone was a little sharp.

"Hm. Well," Loki started, looking in Meredith's direction.

"You're going to talk about gross adult stuff?" she asked.

"Yeah. It'll probably stray into that territory. Mind going to your room to play for a bit?"

Meredith stared at Thor in an 'I'm warning you' sort of way for a moment and then left the room. Once Loki was sure she was gone, he answered Thor's question.

"So... some time after my whole take over Earth plot went awry, Thanos and the rest of his army just sort of disappeared. That left me in a bit of a lurch."

"Hold on. Take over Earth plot? Thanos?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Thor said awkwardly, "Loki hasn't had the most spotless record."

"No, I haven't," Loki agreed with a frown. He crossed his arms and lowered his gaze to the floor. Quill got the sense that he was feeling guilty.

"But I guess if the other me forgave you for it, then I probably would too," Quill said quickly. He hadn't meant to make Loki feel bad. "Sorry for interrupting your story."

"It's fine. I have a lot to answer for," Loki said in a neutral tone. Still, Quill got the feeling that his words had perked him up a bit. "Anyway, I already had the Space Stone so I decided that I might as well try and track down the rest of the Infinity Stones. That's what led me to Quill. See, I'd found out that he'd gotten his hands on the Power Stone."

\---------------------------------------------

Around 10 years ago, in a bar on some backwater planet...

There was a mirror next to the bar's entrance, so Loki took a second to check his appearance. It had been decades since he'd used his female form and he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it was because of Thor. There wasn't much reason to resort to sneakier methods when Thor could just pound every problem into the dirt with his hammer. Either way, the ability to swap sexes was going to come in handy today. After all, if his research was to be believed, Quill had a weakness for women from an impressively broad range of alien species.

Once Loki spotted Quill, he headed over to the bar and leaned over just right so that the finer points of his female body were on full display. Loki had to admit, he enjoyed the subtle way Quill's jaw dropped in response. "This seat taken?" Loki asked.

"Nope," Quill said quickly, "you are welcome to it."

"Don't mind if I do then," Loki replied with a smile as he took the seat. He ordered a drink from the bartender and then turned his attention back towards Quill. "So... if you don't mind me asking, what's a good looking guy like you doing in a place like this?"

"Just passing through, really," Quill said, a slight blush on his cheeks. Loki supposed he wasn't used to being the one getting hit on. "But I could definitely be persuaded to stay a little longer if all the women on this planet are as beautiful as you."

"They aren't," Loki said smugly, "I'm one of a kind. Also, I'm not from this planet."

The bartender came by and placed Loki's drink in front of him. Loki took a sip as Quill replied. "You're passing through too then?"

Loki nodded. "I'm a merchant. I was on my way to pretty much anywhere else when I was attacked by pirates. They damaged my ship and I was forced to land here to get it repaired. Problem is, that's going to take a few days."

"Ouch. That's unfortunate."

"Damn right, it is. But at least I'm alive and I'll be able to get off this planet-- even if it will take longer than I'd like."

"And you got to meet me."

"And that's supposed to be a good thing?" Loki teased.

"Yeah. This could be destiny or something."

"I don't know about destiny, but it could be a good time," Loki said suggestively, "assuming you're willing to indulge me."

"Okay," Quill said turning a brighter red, "so, just to be absolutely sure we're on the same page... you're talking about having sex, right?"  
"That is correct, yes."

"Then I am definitely willing to indulge you."

\---------------------------------------------

Wow. Loki stared at the ceiling of Quill's ship as he tried to sort through his thoughts. Actually sleeping with Quill hadn't been the plan. Once he'd gained access to the Milano, he was supposed to have knocked Quill out and started his search for the power stone. Instead, he'd made the mistake of letting Quill talk. One thing led to another and by the time Quill put on his music, Loki figured why not? It had been a long time since he'd actually connected to someone who wasn't Thor. Besides, if he was going to screw him over, he might as well soften the blow by, well, screwing him.

He hadn't expected it to be that amazing though! Now the long line of angry ex-lovers Loki had learned about in his research into Quill made sense. After all, there probably wouldn't be much to get mad about if you felt like you dodged a bullet when he suddenly disappeared. Loki turned his head towards Quill and watched him for a moment. He had such a stupid expression on his face. Loki couldn't help but smile.

Loki leaned in and pressed a kiss to Quill's forehead. "Sorry," Loki said quietly. Then, he got out of bed and put on his clothes as he changed back into his male form. It was time to get to work.

Loki took a quick look around Quill's room before deciding he'd have better luck elsewhere. If you were going to hide something like the power stone, you probably wouldn't leave it lying around in your room next to your dirty clothes. At least, that was the logic Loki was going with. He stepped out of the room and started looking around the rest of the ship.

Unfortunately, even after hours of searching, he was coming up short. "Where is it?" Loki grumbled. He was more than a little frustrated at this point.

"The power stone, huh?" Quill sighed from somewhere behind Loki, "I should have known." Loki stood up and quickly turned towards Quill. He had to come up with some sort of explanation-- now! But when Quill cocked a confused eyebrow, Loki realized he had more to explain than why he was looking through Quill's stuff. "You... can change sexes?"

"I can," Loki said, opting for an honest answer. He then turned the conversation back to Quill by asking a question in the hopes of distracting him. Buying time was Loki's best option right now. "Does that bother you?"

"No? I mean, I feel a bit weird about it, I guess, but it's not like it would have stopped me if I'd known," Quill said, "but all that is beside the point, isn't it? Can you do anything else?"

"I can look like anyone, really," Loki answered. He was curious as to why Quill was so interested.

"That's perfect!" Quill said a grin.

Loki was very confused.

"Look, you want the power stone, right?"

"I do."

"Well, it's not on my ship. I hid it somewhere else after the last incident I had. Figured that'd keep me alive longer. Anyway, if I'm being honest, it's turned out to be more trouble than it's worth. Which is why I'd be willing to give it to you IF you'd help me with a couple of other jobs first."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"You're going to just give me the stone?"

"Yeah. After you help me with those jobs," Quill said, "I mean, I can't use it without being obliterated and the people I've tried to sell it to... Well, they should definitely not be the ones who have it."

"And you'd trust me with it?"

"I mean, I'm probably being swayed by how gorgeous you are a bit, but... you kind of remind me of me."

"That's not exactly flattering," Loki said with a frown. He was kind of caught up on the gorgeous comment though. Yeah, of course Quill would find his female form gorgeous, but he hadn't qualified it like that. Loki wondered if that meant Quill thought he was thought he was gorgeous in a more general sense. Loki could feel the heat rise in his cheeks as he went over the possibility.

"Ouch," Quill said, "but I really could use your help. We'd split all the rewards 50-50 too so it's not like you'd be losing out."  
Loki went quiet. He couldn't believe he was actually considering this.

"And it would be really fun."

Loki sighed. "What's the job?"

"You're not going to regret this!"

"Want to bet on that?" Loki asked.

"I do, actually," Quill said with a grin.

\---------------------------------------------

"I take it your version of me won that bet?" Quill smiled.

"He did," Loki responded with a similar grin.

Something about their interactions was rubbing Thor the wrong way. He felt... neglected. Loki was his brother. So why was Quill getting all the attention? And... Loki was married to another Quill so why was he acting so friendly with Thor's Quill. Thor backtracked when he realized he'd mentally claimed Quill as his. Quill wasn't his. He wasn't anybody's. Thor shook the thought, deciding that he'd just made that association to keep the situation straight.

"A few insane jobs later and I was completely smitten," Loki said, "I didn't care about the power stone anymore. I just wanted to be by Quill's side. He... gave me a place to belong, a home."

"Asgard is your home," Thor said, arms crossed.

"No, it isn't. You and mother made it feel that way sometimes, but I never belonged there."

Thor opened his mouth to object when Meredith ran back into the room. "Dad," she said, going over to Loki, "there's a raccoon at the door! With a giant tree!" She then went over to the console and brought up a video feed showing them what she'd seen.

"These your friends?" Loki asked.

"Yup. That's Rocket and Groot," Quill said. He turned to Meredith and said, "and Rocket doesn't like being called a raccoon, by the way."

"But isn't that what he is?"

"Not quite. He looks like one, but he's... Well, Rocket."

"Okay," Meredith said thoughtfully.

Once Rocket and Groot were on board, Quill caught them up on the situation.

"Wait," Rocket said, looking from Quill to Loki and Meredith. "She's your daughter? With him?"

"I mean, she's not technically my daughter, but yeah."

"How?"

"I can change into a woman," Loki explained simply.

"Okaaaay," Rocket said, "but you stay in that form most of the time?"

"I do."

"Interesting." Rocket looked at Quill and grinned evilly.

"What?" Quill frowned.

"Your tastes are actually more broad than you let on, huh?"

Quill turned a bright red. 

It probably would have been safe to assume that was a yes, but Thor had to ask anyway. "Wait. He's saying that you're attracted to men too?"

"W-well," Quill started awkwardly, "yeah."

"And that's true?"

Quill replied with a very quiet, "...yes."

"Why didn't I know that?"

"Why would I tell you?" Quill asked defensively, "I mean, come on. Was I just going to go up to you and be all: hey Thor, just thought you should know, I'm bisexual."

"Right," Thor frowned. That did make sense.

"Look, it's nothing against you," Quill continued, "I just... it's not a side of me I usually indulge."

"I am Groot?" Groot asked.

"Why? Because... I had a bad experience, okay? The one guy I got serious about messed me up. And I know that he was just one guy and that doesn't mean other guys are going to be the same, but... I just couldn't do it after that."

"I didn't know that," Loki said sadly.

"Well," Quill said, "it's... something I'd rather forget. I'm sure it's the same for your Quill."

Thor wasn't satisfied. He wanted to know more, to pry every single detail from Quill until he knew who this guy was. But Quill obviously didn't want that. His limited explanation was as far as he intended to go. It was frustrating, but Thor had to respect that.

Just then, the ship got an incoming message. Meredith jumped into the pilot's seat and answered it. On the screen, a bearded Quill was displayed. Thor noted that he also had a small scar above his right eyebrow that the Quill from his reality didn't. "Hey, shooter," the Quill on the screen smiled, "can I talk to your other dad for a minute?"

Loki walked over to the screen and said, "I'm here."

"Right. Um, here's the thing: I think some of the Grandmaster's goons caught on to what I was trying to do. I've got a couple of people tailing me right now. I'm going to try and ditch them, but I might have to lie low for awhile. I can't risk coming back to you two until I know they're gone."

"Okay. What do you want me to do?"

"Just stay safe. I love you. You too, Meredith."

"Love you, daddy," Meredith replied.

Loki didn't say it back.

The Quill on the screen hesitated a moment and then ended the message with a sigh.

Loki immediately went over to a weapon rack and picked up a gun.

"What's going on?" Quill asked.

"That idiot is in more trouble than he's letting on," Loki said angrily, "and if he thinks I'm just going to stand by..."

"What about Meredith?"

Loki stopped and took a deep breath. Then, he looked Quill in the eye and asked, "can you look after her for me?"

Quill frowned. "Rocket and Groot can."

"What?" Rocket asked.

"You're retired, remember?"

"You overheard that?" Rocket asked, "wait! Is that why you came here?"

"It doesn't matter right now," Quill said, "just look after her, okay?"

"Fine. But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to help Loki," Quill said.

"Then I'm going too," Thor said. Honestly, he was also bothered by the fact that the Grandmaster was still in power in this timeline. He wondered if that meant Bruce and Valkyrie were still here too.

"You two know that's a terrible idea, right?" Rocket asked.

"You think all of my ideas are terrible," Quill replied.

Rocket sighed, "can't argue with that."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah, a new guy. Hello, new guy," a seemingly good natured rock creature said with a wave from his seated position at the back of the cell.

After a meeting with the Grandmaster and a series of events that Quill considered minor tortures, he'd been dumped off in a holding cell with the rest of the arena's gladiators. At least there was a bit of a silver lining in the fact that he'd gotten to keep his beard. Loki wouldn't give him the time of day if he'd lost that. With a sigh, Quill pressed his back against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting down. What was he going to do about Loki? He knew the expression he'd seen on their video call. Loki was going to come for him, hell or high water.

"Hey, you okay, friend?" the rock creature asked in a concerned tone.

Quill took a second to pull himself together and then put on a smile. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said, looking up at the alien. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"It's okay. Everybody's a little upset when they're first thrown in here. I'm Korg by the way. This is my buddy, Miek." He gestured to an an insectoid alien sitting next to him. Quill got the feeling Korg did all the talking in their relationship.

"Peter Quill. It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah. Same. It's always nice to meet new friends. Even if they don't usually last too long."

Quill pretended not to hear that last sentence. "Any tips on surviving the arena?"

"Other than don't die? Not really. Miek and I have been pretty lucky so far."

"Okay." Not helpful. Quill tried a different question. "Anyone in particular I should look out for then?"

"Oh yeah. The Hulk. Anyone who goes against him comes back battered and bruised-- if they come back at all."

Quill took a look at the other fighters. "Which one is he?"

"He isn't kept with the rest of us. He's the arena champion so he gets his own room. I hear it's pretty fancy."

No chance of sabotaging that future fight from here then. Not in any way immediately obvious, at least. Still, he might not have to bother at all if he could get out of here before then. It was time to take a look around. Loki wouldn't have to come to his rescue if he found a way to save himself. Then again... Maybe ending up here was actually lucky.

Him and his family had originally come to Sakaar on accident, but after seeing how things were on the planet, they'd made the decision to see what they could do overthrow the Grandmaster. It was an ambitious goal, but the chances of them getting off planet without doing something that monumental were slim anyway. Besides, turning a blind eye to the evils in the galaxy was something both him and Loki decided they weren't going to do. Not in front of Meredith. After all, they'd muddied the lesson on whether stealing was okay or not. They needed to do something to make sure she didn't end up becoming an evil tyrannical space pirate. Being more heroic than not had been their go to way of trying to accomplish that.

They hadn't made much progress on their mission though. Now that Quill was on the inside that could potentially change. He just had to, as Korg had put it, not die. "Mind answering a few more questions?" Quill asked, getting to his feet and brushing himself off.

"Not at all, friend."

\---------------------------------------------

"So... you're how old?" Rocket asked, trying to strike up a conversation with Meredith as she dragged a heavy looking crate into the center of the room. He still couldn't believe Quill had put him on babysitting duty. That just seemed downright irresponsible. He supposed he'd gotten some parenting experience in with Groot, but there was a big difference between taking care of a flora colossus and a human-ish kid.

"Eight." Quill and Loki hadn't wasted much time then. Even if Asgardian pregnancies were shorter than human ones, that still left less than two years for them to fall for each other and decide they wanted to be parents.

"And Quill's really your dad?"

"That's what they tell me," Meredith said with a grunt. She took a minute to wipe her brow and catch her breath before pulling the lid off the crate.

"And he's actually a good dad?"

Meredith shrugged. "Don't have anyone to compare him to besides my other dad." She dove into the crate and started rummaging through its contents. Rocket took took a few steps closer to get a better look. Inside were a bunch of spare parts. "Some people tell me he's bad. They say he has no business dragging a child across the galaxy, but..." Meredith staggered back a step as she lifted a large piece of equipment out of the crate, "I wouldn't trade either of my dads for anything."

Well, she was already less messed up than Rocket would have expected Quill's child to be. That might have been more Loki's doing though. Either way, she seemed well adjusted enough. "What are we doing here, by the way?" Rocket asked, gesturing to the crate.

"Making sure the ship is in tip top shape in case we need it."

"And you're sure you know how to do that?"

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't," Meredith replied with a frown.

It wasn't impossible that she knew. Quill had always been a decent mechanic. His skills were nothing compared to his own talents, of course, but they were passable. He could have taught her a few things. Still, the fact that she was a child was enough to make Rocket hover over her curiously. Meredith paid him no mind and got to work as if he wasn't there. Interestingly enough, she did know what she was doing. There was room for improvement though. "Okay, kid. You've got a bit of talent, I'll give you that. Now, step aside and let me show you how a real master does it," Rocket said smugly.< /p>

Meredith hesitated, but she eventually let him take over. She watched him closely and asked questions when she didn't know what he was doing. One time she even made a suggestion that Rocket grudgingly had to admit was better than what he had planned. All in all, Rocket found that he was really impressed with this kid. Maybe this babysitting job wouldn't be so bad.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked, walking into the room.

"Yeah, we're fine here," Rocket replied.

"I am Groot?"

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after one kid on my own. I don't actually need your help, got it?"

"I am Groot," Groot replied, wilting slightly.

"Ugh. I didn't mean it that way. Of course your help is welcome. I just didn't like the way you were implying that I didn't know what I was doing."

"How do you know what he's saying?" Meredith asked curiously.

"It's just something you pick up once you've been around him long enough," Rocket explained.

"That doesn't really make sense, does it?"

Rocket shrugged, "neither does Quill having a kid, but it happened."

Meredith frowned.

"What's wrong? What'd I say?"

"I don't exist where you're from, right?"

"Err, well..." She really was too sharp for her own good.

"And if I don't exist, then that means that my dads didn't get together. Which means--"

"It could mean a lot of things, kid. In any case, you exist. What does it matter if another version of you doesn't?"

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, well, what was I supposed to say?"

Meredith sighed and got back to work.

Groot went over to her and grew a flower from his arm. He then leaned over and offered it to her. Meredith stared at it for a moment, a little confused. "I am Groot."

"He says it's for you," Rocket translated.

"Really?"

"Yup. Go ahead and take it."

Meredith nodded and took the flower from Groot. She took a minute to think something over and then said, "I am Groot." She blushed slightly in embarrassment and added, "which I hope translates to thank you."

"I am Groot," Groot replied happily.

"Yeah," Rocket smiled, "he got it."

\---------------------------------------------

Thor and Quill hung back as Loki disguised himself and approached some guards in the hopes of getting more information about what had happened to his husband. Seeing as they didn't have a lot to do at the moment besides keep an eye on Loki, Thor decided now would be a good opportunity to talk to Quill. "So, you overheard my conversation with Rocket," he started.

"Do we have to do this now?" Quill asked, keeping his eyes focused forward. Loki seemed to have opened with a joke-- one that had gone over well. The guards were already letting up a bit on formalities. His brother really was impressive when it came to underhanded things like this.

"Yes." It was a firmer response than Thor would have normally given, but if he let Quill put the subject off, he had the feeling he'd never get any answers.

"I was on the roof," Quill said with a tired sigh, "and I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It was an accident."

"What were you doing on the roof?"

"Stargazing. It's something I used to do with my mom, so I..." Quill trailed off for a moment. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "nice boxer shorts, by the way. Didn't think to put some pants on first?"

"You're telling me you didn't enjoy the view?" Thor asked with a teasing smile.

Quill didn't quite laugh, but he did smile for a second. That was more like the Quill Thor knew. "I was a little preoccupied," Quill said in a more sober tone, "you know, with the fact that I was losing my last two family members?"

Family. That's the way that Thor had seen the Guardians, but he hadn't expected Quill to actually admit it. Not with the way they'd always bickered around each other. Despite all the fighting, they'd been surprisingly functional. So much so that Thor had even been a little jealous of them.

"I don't even remember how to live alone," Quill admitted with a mirthless laugh.

"You weren't going to be alone though. I was going to be with you."

Quill frowned and then looked Thor's way with a serious expression on his face. "You're not a Guardian, Thor. You're an Avenger. You were always going to leave at one point or another."

Being torn between two things had always been Thor's problem. Until Asgard was destroyed, he'd always been forced to balance things between Earth and his home. It was that very dilemma that had ultimately ended his relationship with Jane. Starting New Asgard on Earth had simplified things, especially once he'd handed it over to Valkyrie, but it seemed he had a new choice to make. Quill didn't seem to think it was a choice though. And he did have a point. How could he turn his back on the Avengers? Still, the way Quill had laid it out so plainly made something in Thor ache. "Quill, I..." Thor started.

"It's just the way it is. No need to be sorry about it," Quill said dismissively.

Thor didn't like that. There had to be some way for things to work out. "What if you became an Avenger?"

Quill laughed.

"I'm serious."

Quill looked at him as if he was a bit delusional. Still, he gave Thor a serious answer. "Can't. Staying in one place for too long drives me crazy. My home is a ship." Quill turned his attention back to Loki. Thor sighed and did the same. After a moment though, Quill dropped their original subject and said, "I wonder if my future would have looked something like this one with Gamora."

"With Gamora having to bail you out of a dangerous situation?" Thor asked, attempting a joke to lighten the mood. He wasn't sure it was the right mood to go with, but he wanted to keep Quill from sinking into depression. He'd seen the way he'd handled the aftermath of losing Gamora and it wasn't pretty.

"That's not what I meant, but yeah. She'd probably have to rescue me constantly," Quill smiled fondly, "like she always did."

"I'm sure you were a very charming damsel in distress."

Quill laughed and then wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Thor hadn't caught it, but his eyes must have been watering for him to bother with the gesture. Quill still felt that strongly about her, huh? Even after all this time. "I don't even know what she would have wanted. Would she have stayed in space with me after Thanos? Or would she have tried to settle down somewhere? I mean, I think she would've wanted to spend some time helping places recover from the damage Thanos did, but after that... Would we have gotten married? Did she want kids?"

"Do you want kids?"

"Well, no," Quill blushed in embarrassment, "at least, I didn't. Kids don't exactly seem compatible with my lifestyle, you know? But..."

"Seeing Meredith..."

Quill nodded. "I mean, she seems alright, right? A bit of a firecracker, but you'd kind of need to be in her situation. I don't know. I guess seeing her just made me realize that it's possible to make it work." Quill chuckled and said, "I'm actually pretty jealous of myself."

"...I think you're fine the way you are."

"I'm not though," Quill said, breaking down in a way Thor hadn't seen from him before. "I'm a mess and I don't know what to do about it. I thought if I focused on helping my other self, I'd feel a little better, but he's got it more together than I ever did."

"That's why you used the time machine," Thor sighed.

"I know it's dumb, but I--"

Thor pulled Quill into a hug. Quill instinctively tried to step back, but Thor pulled him back in and held him tighter. Quill sighed and gave in, settling into Thor's arms.

"I swear you're the best hugger in existence," Quill said into Thor's chest. "It's annoying."

"Do you want me to let go then?"

"No." Quill hugged Thor back and added a quiet, "thank you."

"Quill," Thor hesitated, "what if..." What if I did stay with you? Thor stopped himself from saying the rest of the question. That sounded too much like a promise-- a promise he might break. If he gave Quill his word and ended up going back to the Avengers-- even temporarily-- he might do irreversible damage to their relationship. That thought in mind, he quickly changed the subject to the first thing he could think of. "So, that guy you dated..."

Damn it. That was literally the last subject Thor should have brought up. Judging by the tired glare Quill gave him, he thought so too. Surprisingly though, Quill didn't completely shut him down. He lowered his gaze and said, "he was a dick, got it? That's all you need to know."

Thor supposed that was true. It didn't stop him from wanting to know more though. He hadn't really cared about Quill's relationships with women outside of Gamora, but he'd fixated on this one as soon as Quill revealed that it had happened. "Right," Thor said with an unsatisfied sigh.

Quill picked up on it. He pressed his forehead into Thor's chest and let out a sigh of his own. "Just this once, okay? So listen up," he started, "I was eighteen. I left the Ravagers thinking that I was the smart, that I had it all together. But I wasn't smart. I was naive. I let the guy sweet talk me into his bed and he made short work of wrapping me around his finger. Soon enough, I was doing his dirty work. We pulled all sorts of heists and he always gave me the more dangerous roles. He said it was because he knew I could do it, that he had faith in me. And, of course, any doubts I had were tossed aside the second we had sex. It took him literally selling me to some gross alien for me to get wise. And he had the nerve to pretend he was doing me a favor! That it'd teach me not to be such a trusting idiot," Quill gritted his teeth. "The really shitty thing is that it did."

Yeah, Thor definitely wanted to murder this guy. Well, at least break his legs. He gently ran a hand across Quill's cheek and through his hair. It only struck him as a rather intimate gesture after the fact. Quill didn't seem to notice though so Thor simply blushed and kept quiet.

"Yondu was the one that came to my rescue. He gave me so much grief about it afterwards, but he did help me pick up the pieces as best he could." Quill looked up at Thor and said, "and that's the story. Don't ask again."

"I won't," Thor promised, "thank you for telling me."

"Yeah, well..." Quill blushed slightly, "I trust you."

"What's this now?" Loki asked with a curious smile as he approached the two of them. Apparently he'd finished up his task. Quill immediately pulled away from Thor in response. "Should my counterpart be worried? Assuming I have one. You two never did get around to explaining your situation."

"It's... not something you need to worry about," Quill said with a frown. Then, thinking better of his answer, he over corrected by adding, "Thor's dating Jane in our reality." 

Thor kind of regretted telling him about her. It was how he'd been able to connect with him about losing Gamora though. Obviously their situations hadn't been the same, but Thor had loved Jane and lost her. It had given them enough common ground to relate to each other.

"Still?" Loki frowned.

"What do you mean by still?" Thor asked, eyes narrowing. Obviously he wasn't still dating Jane, but the fact that it was so easy for Loki to believe that their relationship would fall apart was annoying.

"Oh, nothing," Loki said, waving his hand carelessly, "just that you two have nothing in common." Loki shrugged and added, "but whatever. If you somehow managed to make it work... congratulations."

"Who am I with in this timeline?"

"Branching timelines then, huh?" Loki hummed thoughtfully, "and honestly, I don't know. I haven't kept up with your life. I think I'll be keeping my Quill far away from you though. Just in case."

"Speaking of your Quill," Quill interjected, "did you get any useful information?"

"I did," Loki sighed, "one of the Grandmaster's bounty hunters caught him. Apparently he put up a good fight though. They were impressed enough to make him a gladiator. He'll probably be okay for awhile as long as they don't toss him at that green brute."

"Green brute? You mean the Hulk?" Thor asked.

"Yes, I do. And here I thought I'd left him far behind on Earth," Loki grumbled.

That meant that Valkyrie might be around too. Thor closed his eyes and started thinking. If things were similar to how they were when he was originally on Sakaar, he could use that knowledge here. Maybe... "I have an idea," Thor announced.

"What do you have in mind?" Loki asked curiously.

"I'm going to get caught."


	4. Chapter 4

"That... is a really terrible idea," Quill replied.

"Agreed," Loki said sharply, "the Grandmaster is able to imprison powerful people from across the galaxy and force them to fight in his arena. You're stronger than most, but that doesn't mean you'll be immune to whatever measures he uses to control his fighters."

Thor didn't know why he'd assumed they'd be more supportive of his idea. He groaned and said, "I get that, alright? But I..." Thor trailed off for a second. They'd already given away that there were multiple timelines. Telling Loki about his previous experiences should be okay, right? Thor decided the answer to that question was yes and added, "I've been here before. I know things."

"Things that may not be relevant anymore," Quill pointed out.

"Hulk is still here," Thor argued, "I know I can't count on things to be exactly the same, but I should at least be able to get through to him. With him on our side, we'll have all the firepower we need to take down the Grandmaster and save Loki's Quill."

"Okay, I admit that having the Hulk on our side would make a pretty big difference. But Thor, it's been a long time. What if he's too far gone at this point?"

"I'll never believe that any of my friends are too far gone."

Quill groaned. "I hate that I was actually moved by that."

"Does that mean you're with me?" Thor asked with sheepish smile.

"...Yeah, fine. I'm with you. It's not like you can't handle yourself anyway."

"How about you, Loki?"

"Seeing as I know first hand how persistent you can be, I am inclined to think that you will end up being successful," Loki replied, "which, I guess, is a roundabout way of saying that if this is the plan you really want to go with, I'll support it."

"Then it's decided," Thor said cheerfully.

"Hold on a minute," Quill interjected firmly, "all that we've decided is your role in this. I'm not about to sit this one out and wait for you to deal with everything on your own."

"Nor am I," Loki agreed, "but I do think we'll be more helpful outside of the arena."

"It'd be good if you could get the access codes to the Grandmaster's ship," Thor said, "that was very helpful in my timeline. Oh, and if you can find a way to do something about the obedience disks--"

"Those are the devices the Grandmaster uses to control his fighters?"

"Yes."

"Consider it done," Loki said with a nod. "I'll disguise myself with my magic and see what I can do to get into the Grandmaster's inner circle. As for Quill..." Loki stroked his chin thoughfully for a moment before suggesting, "how about stealing some armor and pretending to be one of the guards? It's a bit of a cliché, but--"

"It's cliché for a reason. It works," Quill smiled.

"Exactly."

"I'm against it," Thor said sternly.

"Why?" Quill asked, "you don't think I can do it?"

"It's not that. I know you can do it, it's just--"

"Just what?"

"It's a needless risk. If you knock out a guard and take their armor, the other guards will eventually figure that out. That wouldn't be a big deal if this was a quick rescue operation, but this is going to take some time."

"He wouldn't have to knock out a guard. I should be able to get the armor for Quill. I just have to find out where they keep it and steal him a set," Loki said.

"They still might notice it's missing," Thor said, "and what if you're caught in the process? Besides, what do we actually get out of having Quill infiltrate the Grandmaster's guards? Like I said, it's an unnecessary risk."

"Then what's your idea?" Quill asked a bit sharply. It was clear to Thor that he was getting under Quill's skin. It'd be worth it though if he could keep Quill from putting himself in danger. Quill was capable. Thor knew that. Still, humans could be fragile and Thor didn't like the idea of Quill putting himself at risk when he wouldn't be in a position to back him up.

"Stay with the ship and make sure it's ready if we need to make a quick escape."

"So wait. On the sidelines. The thing I said I wasn't going to do." Quill's tone was sharp. Thor took it for what it was: a warning to retract the statement immediately. However, instead of giving into the implied demand, Thor doubled down.

"I just think that Loki and I have things covered."

"And you don't need me because I'm useless."

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"Yeah? Well, that's what I'm hearing!"

"People are starting to stare," Loki cut in with a low hiss, "keep it down."

It was clear from the expression on his face that Quill wanted to keep arguing, but he thought better of it. He sighed, crossed his arms, looked back at Thor and then said, "you want me back on the ship? Fine. Don't expect me to bail your ass out of any trouble you get into."

"Quill..."

Quill flipped Thor off and walked away.

"That's not the way I wanted this to go," Thor groaned.

"Don't expect any pity from me," Loki said, "you asked for that kind of reaction from him."

"Well, if it keeps him out of danger, I'm okay with him being mad at me."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"You really think he's going to sit still? Because that doesn't sound like my Quill."

It didn't sound like his Quill either. 

"Fair point," Thor sighed, "I'll message Rocket about keeping an eye on him."

\---------------------------------------------

After splitting off from Loki and sending Rocket a message regarding Quill, Thor hit up a few bars. If someone was going to turn him in, he figured he should give that honor to Brunnhilde. After all, if he made a good impression with this version of her now, it could potentially help them later. That made it worth the extra effort to find her. Luckily, Thor didn't have to search too hard before he caught sight of her leaning against a bar and downing a whole glass of alcohol in one go.

"Mind if I buy you another drink?" he asked, going over to her.

She gave him a once over and said, "knock yourself out. Don't expect to get anything out of it though. I'm not looking for company tonight."

Thor called over the bartender and ordered her a drink. "Not the kind of favor I'm looking for."

"Then what do you want with me?"

"I was hoping you could arrange a meeting between me and the Grandmaster."

"The only people I take to the Grandmaster are potential fighters for his arena."

"That's exactly what I intend to be."

Brunnhilde laughed and took a swig from the glass the bartender put down in front of her. "Perhaps I phrased that too kindly. I meant slaves for his arena."

"I know. I need to get into the arena for, well, reasons."

"You're crazy, you know that? But I suppose that's not my problem. You want me to take you to the Grandmaster? Fine. The credits I'd get for turning you in are enough to make it worthwhile. But know that whatever plan you think you have isn't going to work. Nobody leaves the arena alive, just like nobody leaves Sakaar alive."

"I aim to change that," Thor said with a wink.

Brunnhilde downed the rest of her drink. "Thanks for the drink, but don't expect me to hold my breath."

\---------------------------------------------

Thor sighed as he felt the top of his head. They'd taken his glorious golden locks again. He supposed he should find it promising that everything was lining up nicely with his past experiences, but he was still a little bitter about that. He reminded himself he didn't have time for moping around and started looking around the holding cell. His first task was to check on Loki's Quill. It wasn't hard to find him. All Thor had to do was follow the circular hallway around for a bit before he ran into him sitting and chatting with Korg and Miek. Despite the circumstances, he was happy to see them. So happy, that he completely forgot that he wasn't supposed to know them.

"Korg! Miek!" he said happily.

The two of them turned towards Thor and gave him a curious look. "That was surprisingly enthusiastic," Korg said, "it's not unappreciated, of course, but it is a little strange."

"R-right," Thor coughed, "it's just, uh..." He quickly put together a flimsy excuse, "I saw some of your fights and thought the two of you were pretty amazing."

"Ah, a fanboy then. Thank you. We're flattered," Korg said as he nudged Miek, "aren't we Miek?"

Miek made a series of clicking noises.

"You look like you can hold your own yourself though, mister..."

"Thor," Thor introduced himself with a grin.

"H-hold on," Quill said, stumbling to his feet. The first thing that Thor honed in on was the fact that he'd gotten to keep his beard. He was a little irked about that. Then again, he couldn't hold too much of a grudge seeing as the level of facial hair made it easy for him to tell this Quill apart from the one he knew. "Thor? As in Thor Odinson? God of thunder and prince of Asgard?"

"Yes," Thor said, cocking an eyebrow. He supposed it wasn't weird that Quill knew about him considering the fact that this Quill was married to Loki. It wasn't the reaction he was expecting though.  
Quill gawked at him for a moment and then said, "if you came here to take Loki back to Asgard--"

"I'm not here for that," Thor groaned.

Quill's attitude changed from tense to casual in a matter of seconds. He clapped Thor on the shoulder and said, "Cool. I guess that means we can be friends then." Quill's smile broadened as he added, "Loki will be thrilled to see you."

Thinking back on their initial reunion, Thor mumbled a, "I'm not so sure about that."

"It's true. He probably won't act like it, but he's been wishing that he could introduce you to Meredith since she was born. Uh, that's our daughter, by the way. Loki and I are married. Which makes us brothers-in-law. And that's probably a lot to process right now. Sorry. Oh, but also, hello." He held out his hand for Thor to shake and said, "I'm Peter Quill. You may know me as Star-Lord."

Thor smiled and shook Quill's hand. "I do, actually."

"Hold on! Really?" Quill asked, looking absolutely delighted.

"Really."

"Hell yes! I knew the name would get around some day." Quill then paused for a moment, realizing that he was getting off track. "B-but that's not important right now. We need to focus on getting out of here."

"That's why I'm here."

"You have a plan then?" Korg asked curiously.

"Um, well. Part of a plan," Thor admitted, "I know the Grandmaster's champion. I figured if I could talk to him, I could convince him to help us."

"That's nice," Korg said in a pleasant tone that was still somehow devastatingly dismissive. "So, Quill, you were asking about the set up of the arena?"

"That's right," Quill said, stepping back towards Korg and Miek, "and don't skimp on the details. You never know what you'll be able to exploit so I want to know everything you can remember."

"Mind if I join in?" Thor asked.

"What? Not convinced your plan will work?" Quill asked.

"Doesn't hurt to explore all our options," Thor said, "but it'll definitely work."

Quill smiled, "as long as it gets me back to Loki and Meredith, I don't care who's plan ends up being successful."

\---------------------------------------------

"Let's see if I have this straight: your name is James T. Kirk and you are the former captain of the Millennium Falcon. You gambled away your ship and are now seeking employment so that you can have a fresh start," the guard sitting across the table from Quill finished as he set his datapad down in front of him. 

As mad as he was at Thor, Quill had chosen to take the god of Thunder's words as constructive criticism. If stealing armor wasn't an option, he'd try to get it the legitimate way-- by getting a job. 

"That's right," Quill said, leaning back in his chair in an attempt to look casual as he tried not to think about how he should have put a little more thought into his cover story. "I bet you hear that kind of sob story all the time around here."

"It's not uncommon," the interviewer said with a chuckle so slight that Quill almost didn't catch it. Something about it made him feel a little nostalgic, but he couldn't figure out why. "You know, you look a lot like one of the criminals we brought in not too long ago."

"Yeah, well, I'm here so I'm clearly not that guy." Quill mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that particular little complication. His interviewer seemed ot take it in stride, however.

"I guess not. What's your relationship status?"

"Huh?" Hold on. Was this guy flirting with him or was that somehow a legitimate question on this planet? The guard interviewing him had said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Quill couldn't make up his mind.

"Are you single right now?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"We prefer to hire people that don't have any... familial or romantic obligations. That way, you can wholly dedicate yourself to the Grandmaster."

"Oh. Well, everybody who gives a shit about me is gone or is in the process of leaving me," Quill replied. That wasn't fair and he knew it. Especially in Thor's case. But he was mad at Thor anyway and he had a lot of pent up emotions so that's the way it came out. "So yeah, no attachments worth noting. Consider me completely unaffiliated."

"Understood."

"Any other deeply personal details you'd like to know?"

"Now that you mention it, still have that daddy kink?"

Quill turned a vibrant shade of red. The answer was a big fat no-- that kink had died a horrible death after actually meeting his dad-- but there was only one person in the galaxy who'd know there was a time when he was into it. "You're--"

"Took you long enough, Pete," the guard said, removing his helmet and revealing the face of the last person Quill wanted to see-- short of a reincarnated Thanos or Ego, of course. His interviewer had turned out to be Kallum Dhar, Quill's one and only ex-boyfriend. Despite the years, the Xandarian rogue didn't look all that different. He still had the short black hair with dyed tips (blue this time instead of the red he was familiar with), fair skin, and a set of captivating amber-colored eyes. Yup. Still hot. Probably still an asshole too. "By the way, it's cute that you still use the same backstories you did when you were a teenager."

"I--" Quill faltered, trying to settle on a response. A second later, he settled on mad. "Don't act like we're on good terms, because I have half a mind to deck you right now!"

"Only half a mind? Then you aren't as mad as I thought you'd be."

"Then you agree that anger is an appropriate response?"

"Course I do. Last time we saw each other, I sold you. It'd be weird if you weren't angry."

"Why though?" Quill asked, voice cracking. That wasn't what he'd expected himself to say. He was supposed to stay mad. Now he was looking for answers like a lost puppy? "I thought... I thought we were good."

Kallum placed his helmet on the table and sat down. His calm smile from before was replaced by a more serious expression. "Pete, before I explain..." he started, running a hand through his hair, "I don't want to make it sound like what I did was okay, because it wasn't. I knew it'd mess you up for a long time. I just didn't see a better alternative."

"I don't need your excuses. Just tell me what happened."

"I messed up on one of our high risk jobs, got a bounty put on my head. A pretty astronomical one too. You were in the clear, but... well, as long as you were around me, you were in danger. If I'd said anything, you'd have stayed by my side. That's just how taken with me you were." Quill hated that was true. "I can't say I wasn't tempted, but I preferred you alive. So, to make sure you didn't follow me, I sold you. I knew that alien wouldn't be able to keep you for long. It was only a matter of time before you came up with a clever plan or Yondu saved the day."

"I don't believe you."

"So what? I'm just a piece of shit who got rid of the best thing that ever happened to me on a whim? I admit that the credits were good, but--"

"Enough. Best thing that ever happened to you? Laying it on a little thick, aren't you? I'm not the dumb kid I used to be. I know what you're doing."

"Only because I taught you how to do it," Kallum smiled.

"You did not." Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but Quill wasn't about to tell Kallum otherwise.

"Look, Pete, you don't have to like me. Feel free to hate me all you want. But I am in a position to help you out. You want this job and I know it's not because you intend to settle down and live a normal life. So, my question is: what's our con this time?"


End file.
